Emulsion-preventive



M. ZAPF AND G. ROBERTSON. EMULSION PREVENTIVE.

APPLICATIONv FILED JUN-E9, 1919.

. 1,380,512 PatentedJu ne 7,1921.

INVENTORS M. Z A PF 6. R0 an? rs on A TTORNEYS.

UITED STATES MICHAEL ZAPF AND GEORGE ROBERTSON, 0F MARICOPA, CALIFORNIA.

EMULSION-PREVENTIVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 7, 1921.

Application filed June 9, 1919. Serial No. 302,898.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, MICHAEL ZAPF and GEORGE ROBERTSON, citizens of the United States, residin at Maricopa, in the county of Kern and tate of California, have 1nvented new and useful Improvements in Emulsion-Preventives, of which the following is a specification. I

Our invention relates to devices for effecting a separation of gas from oil and water, and the principal objects of our inventlon are to provide simple and efiicient means whereby gas may be separated from the 011 and water immediately after the same has been taken from a well and before it has reached a storage tank, and further, to provide a device that is entirely automatic in operation.

Our invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed. 7

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an emulsion preventive embodying the principles of our invention, parts being broken away and shown in section. V

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 and looking downwardly as indicated by the arrow.

In the operation of oil wells it is found that where the oil is pumped direct into storage tanks from the well the oil and gas and water form an emulsion and will not separate, and it is the object of our invention to provide simple and efficient means for separating the gas from the latter and water as the oil passes from the well.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the T 1 is mounted with its side outlet 2 extending upwardly. A pipe nipple 3 is connected to the end outlet 4, and a pipe nipple 5 is connected to the side outlet 2. The T 6 has one end outlet screwed upon the nipple 3,

a nipple 7 screwed into its side outlet, and a nipple 8 screwed into the other end. The T screwed upon the upper endsofthe nipples 17, 7 and 5, said reducer couplings being substantially on a level. Pipe nipples'21, 22 and 23 are screwed into the reducer couplings 18, 19 and 20. Ts 24, 25 and 26 have their side outlets screwed upon the nipples 21, 22' and 23 in a line, and the pipe nipples 27 and 28 connect the Ts 24, 25 and 26 together.

A valve 29 is connected to the outer end of the T 26 by a short nipple 30. A bracket 31 is clamped upon the pipe nipple 28 and extends upwardly. The valve stem 32 of the valve 29 reciprocates through the stuffing box 33. The valve 29 is arranged and connected so that the valve will be opened by pressure coming through the T 26 and nipple 30. A lever 34 is connected to the upper end of the valve stem 32 and to the upper end of the bracket 31 and has an adjustable weight 35 upon its free end, so that by adjusting the weight 35 the pressure at which the valve 29 will open may be accurately regulated.

A plug 36 closes the outer end of the T 24. A pipe nipple 37 is connected to the side outlet of the T 12, a valve 38 is connected to the pipe nipple 37 and the valve 38 is to be connected to the pipe for delivering the oil to the storage tank. The valve stem 39 of the valve 38 reciprocates through the stuffing box 40.

The pipe nipple 41 is connected to the side outlet of the T 14, the L 42 is connected to the outer end of the pipe nipple 41, the reducer coupling 43 is connected to the L 42 and extends upwardly, the large pipe nipple 44 is connected to the reducer coupling 43 and extends upwardly, and a float 45 is loosely mounted in the chamber 46 of the pipe nipple 44. The fitting 47 is screwed upon the upper end of the pipe nipple 44, the L 48 is screwed into the side outlet of the fitting 47, and the pipe 49 connects the. L 48 to the side outlet of the T 16. A stuffing box 50 extends upwardly from the fitting 47 and the stem 51 is connected to the float 45 and extends through the stuffing box 50.

A clamp 52 is fixed upon the pipe nipple 21, a lever 53 is pivotally connected to the clamp 52 and pivotally connected to the upper end of the valve stem 39 and pivot ally connected to the upper end of the float stem 51 and extends beyond the float stem 51.

A weight 54 is adjustably mounted upon the extending end of the lever 53, so that with a given size of float 45 the pressure at which the valve 38 will open may be accurately adjusted by adjusting the weight 54.

The L 48 is used in connecting the pipe 49 to the fitting 50 so as to run the pipe 49 around the stem 39.

The separator 55 is a section of pipe fitting loosely in the pipe nipples 3 and 8 and having perforations 56 and 57 in the planes of the nipples, the portions 58 and 59 of the separator being imperforate in the transverse planes of the nipples 7 and 5. The separator 55 extends from the outer end of the T 1 through the nipple 3, the T 6 and order to obtain best results in the separa-v tion of practically all the gas from the oil, it is necessary to break or divide the gas into relatively small bodies, and to accomplish this, the pipe 55 is perforated only at points between the risers which form a part of the gas chamber, and the perforations in said pipe 55 are relatively small. Further, the external diameter of the pipe 55 is slightly less than the internal diameter of the pipe sections 3 and 8 which inclose the perforated portions of said pipe 55, and thus the gas issuing from the relatively small openings in small bubbles are caused to travel lengthwise through the pipe sections 3 and 8, and owing to the limited space between said sections and the pipe 55, these gas bubbles cannot unite to form relatively large bubbles until they pass into the risers and upwardly through the columns of oil therein.

When the device has been connected into the oil well system with the check valve 62 connected to the oil supply line the pressure regulated valve 29 connected to the gas stor: age tank and the pressure regulated valve 38 connected to the oil storage tank, the weights 54 and 35 are adjusted to maintain the oil level at about the line 63. The mixture of oil, water and gas will pass through the check valve 62 to the perforated tube 55, and as said mixture flows through said tube the gas will become separated from the oil and water and discharged through the perforations 56 and 57 and pass upwardly through the pipe nipples 10, 7 and 5, while the oil will pass upwardly to the level of the line 63 and will pass downwardly through the parts 11, 12, 13, 14, 41, 42 and upwardly through the parts 43 and 44 to the float 45. The valve 29 will remain closed until all the parts above the level of the line 63 are filled with gas and these parts include the upper end of the pipe 44 and the fitting 47.

When an equilibrium has been established an increase in the oil supply coming through the check valve 62 will raise the float 45 and open the valve 38 and allow the Oil to pass to the oil storage tank. The same, or practically the same pressure will open the 'valve 29 and allow the gas topass to the gas storage tank, and as the operation continues the float 45 will maintain the oil at the proper lever, that is the line 63.

While we have shown the device made up of pipe fittings, it is Obvious that the entire device might be cast in one or more pieces, and while we have shown the pipe fittings as comparatively small, it is to be understood that the device may be made in any desired capacity, and that for a well producing a large quantity of oil the, pipe nipples might be twelve or more inches in diameter; whereas for a small well the pipe nipples might be two inches in diameter. It is thought that the proportions shown are about right, and that the parts should be enlarged with the proportions substantially maintained.

Thus we have made an emulsion preventer consisting broadly of a device adapted to be incorporated into the oil well pipe line for separating the gas from the oil and water and provided with a float construction for maintaining the line of separation, and gravity operated valves for equalizing the pressure.

The chamber 64 formed by screwing the fittings and nipples together serves as the separating chamber. Obviously, if the chamber filled with oil there would be no line of separation. The pressure controlled valve 29 serves to hold the gas until a desired pressure is attained and the gas holds the oil from filling the upper part of the chamber. 1f the oil ran freely through the valve 38 there would be no pressure to operate the valve 29 so the float 45 is provided to open the valve 38 and locate it at the desired level, and the weight 54 is provided for adjusting the pressures to maintain the desired level.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention as claimed;

We claim:

In an apparatus for continuously separating gas from oil, a substantially tubular member, risers connected thereto, a tubular member connecting the upper ends of said risers and combining therewith to form a gas chamber, an automatically operating gas discharge valve connected to said gas chamher, an oil and gas supply pipe leading into the first mentioned tubular member, the external diameter of which supply pipe is slightly less than the internal diameter of said tubular member, the wall of said supply pipe being perforated at points between the lower ends of the risers, tubular connec- 10 tion between the first mentioned tubular member and the tubular member that connects the upper ends of the risers, and said tubular connection being provided with a valved outlet below the first mentioned tubular member.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification.

MICHAEL ZAPF. GEO. ROBERTSON. 

